Mission type | Tracking test |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
Spacecraft properties | |
Launch mass | 67.5 kilograms (149 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | November 1, 1961, 15:32 | UTC
Rocket | Blue Scout II D-8 |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-18B |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Epoch | Planned |
|
Mercury-Scout 1, or MS-1, was a United States spacecraft intended to test tracking stations for Project Mercury flights.[1][2] It grew out of a May 5, 1961 NASA proposal to use Scout rockets to launch small satellites to evaluate the worldwide Mercury Tracking Network in preparation for crewed orbital missions. The launch of Mercury-Scout 1 on November 1, 1961, was unsuccessful, and the satellite failed to reach orbit.